Air-valve for radiators.



310.333,033. l PMT'ENTBD 00T. 9, 190e.

AIR VALVE FOR RADIATORS. v

LIELIOATION FILED AUG. 2, 1906.

HENRY M. STEVENSON, OF PERRY, IOWA.

AIR-VALVE FOR RADIATORS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented oct. 9,1906.

Application filed August 2, 1905. Serial No. 272.426.

Toa/ZZ 7,071,077?, it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY M. STE vENsoN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Perry, in the county of Dallas and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Air-Valves' for Radiators, of which the following is a specification.

In apartments where the hot-water system of heating is employed it frequently happens that the occupants form the habit of drawing out the hot water for household purposes, thereby necessitating the heating of a much larger quantity of cold water in the boilers than would be the case if the water were used for heating purposes alone.

The object of this invention is to produce a device which can be attached to the ordinary form of radiator-vent and which will permit the escape of the dead air accumulating'within the radiator, but will effectively prevent any of the hot water from being withdrawn.

With this object in view the invention consists, essentially, of a tubular plug located within the radiator and secured tothe vent, said tubular plug being provided with a peculiarly-constructed valve for the purpose specified. l

For a full description ofthe invention and the merits thereof and also to acquire a knowledge of the details of construction of the means for effecting the result reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in whichh Figure 1 is a perspective view showing my improved valve as attached to an ordinary radiator-vent. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the valve in an open position. Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the valve as closed. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the disk employed at the inner end of the device. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a modification in which the valve-seat and cilooked passage are located in a removable p ug. f

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters. v

The numeral 1 designates a vent for radiators of the usual type and 2 is a tubular plug, one end of which is screwed into the vent 1 at 3. The opposite end of the member 2 is provided with a chamber 12, which is approximately cylindrical in shape, and a passage 4 extends from the base of the chamber 12 to the end of the member 2, secured to the vent l. This passage 4 is formed with an oblique portion 5, which renders it impossible for any one to tamper with the valve by thrusting a wire through the passage. The open end of the chamber 12 is closed by a circular disk 6, provided with a central opening 7 and adapted to be held in position by pressing the sides of the chamber 12 slightly inward. A ball 8 is located in the recess 3, and a valve-seat 9 is formed where the passage 4 communicates with said chamber, the valve-seat having a greater degree of curvature than the ball 8, so as to insure a perfect seating thereof. v

In operation the device is secured to the vent 1, which is screwed into the radiator in the usual manner, and the ball 8 normally rests against the sides of the chamber 12. Should the radiator be filled with an accumulation of air, the same will enter the chamber 12 through the opening 7 in the disk 6 and will pass out through the passage 4, since the current of air strikes against the upper portion of the ball 8 and simply rolls same against the shoulders 10, which surround the valve-seat 9. air has been exhausted and the water enters the chamber 12 the water will have a buoying effect upon the ball 8, which, in connection with the' tendency of the water to flow through the passage 4, will lift the ball 8 and hold it in position upon the valve-seat 9. The efficiency of this valve depends very largely upon the action of the shoulder 10 in resisting the tendency of the ball 8 to close the passage 4 during the exit of the air and also upon the fact that the air is forced to enter the chamber 12 through the opening 7, which is located so as to direct the current of air against the upper portion of the ball 8, which is preferably made of metal. The Water, however, has a buoying tendency, which raises the ball and counteracts the resistance of the shoulder 10, thereby raising the ball so as to close the passage 4. It will thus be understood that I have invented an attachment for radiators which is positive in its operation and which, owing to its peculiar construction, will allow the escape of accumulated air, but will prevent any withdrawal of the water.

A modification is shown in Fig. 5 in which the outlet-opening of an ordinary vent is enlarged and a plug 11 placed therein, said plug being provided with a crooked passage and However, when the l IOO IIO

valve-seat similar to those in the preferred form of the attachment. A ball 8 is then placed in the opening and the mouth of same closed with a perforated disk 6. The common form of vent can thus be readily provided with a valve which will prevent any water from being withdrawn and this result 'accomplished without enlarging same, so as trl) make it clumsy and inconvenient to hand e.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is- 1. A device of the character described com prising a plug having a chamber therein, said chamber having communication with an outlet-passage and an inletfpassage, a valve-seat Where the outlet-passage communicates with the chamber, a ball located within the'chamber and normally adapted to move freely along one side thereof, and means'whereby the ball will automatically close the outletpassage to prevent the passage of any water therethrough. r

2. A device of the character described comprising a tubular member having a chamber therein, said chamber having communication with an outlet-passage and an inlet-passage, ay ball located in the chamber, and a valve-seat where the outlet-passage communicates with the chamber, said valve-seat being adjacent to a shoulder which prevents the air from forcing the ball upon the valve-seat.

3. A device of the character described comprising a tubular member having a chamber at one end thereof, said chamber having communication with an outlet-passage, a ball located Iin the chamber, a valve-seat where the outlet-passage communicates with the chamber, said valve-seat being located adjacent a shoulder which prevents the air from forcing the ball upon the valve-seat, and a perforated disk closing the open end of the cham ber.

4. In a device of the character described, the combination of a vent, a plug fitting in the outlet-passage of said vent and provided with a valve-seat and crooked outlet-passage, a ball located in a chamber adjacent the plug, and a perforated disk closing the open end of the chamber.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HENRYv STEVENSON. [L s] Vitnesses:

H. G. GrDDiNes,

W. H. FAHEY. 

